Chicago Bears DB Charles Tillman Thought Brian Urlacher Was Coming Back

May 23, 2012; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears players Brian Urlacher (54) , Charles Tillman (33) and Lance Briggs (55) during organized team activities at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

If you haven’t heard, the Chicago Bears and Brian Urlacher are going their separate ways. Let that settle in for a second, the Bears won’t have Urlacher in the middle. Or even weirded, Urlacher in a different uniform possibly. But while Bears fans held onto hope that Urlacher would work out a deal with their team, corner back Charles Tillman thought it was going to happen too.

“Yeah, I was hopeful. I was very optimistic about Brian coming back to this team for another year.”

“I’d probably say that it’s a sad day for Bears fans and players and the organization,” Tillman said on WSCR in Chicago, via Sports Radio Interviews. “It’s a business. I think he was a guy who represented the city well for Chicago. He represented himself, the city, the organization. He was a leader, he was a great teammate, great team guy. Love him. Just a sad day. But I’m sure, whatever organization picks him up, I think he’ll go on and make them proud.”

While it is rare to see a player stay with one organization for his entire career now a days, some think Urlacher might retire. Tillman isn’t one of those people.

“This year? No. I think he’s got some football left in him. I hope he don’t retire,” Tillman said. “No, I don’t think he’s retiring. I think he’ll do all right by him playing for another team, somebody else. Whatever team lands him, they’re getting a great guy, great team player, great person. He’s gonna represent himself; he’s not going to embarrass anybody. One of those guys you don’t have to worry about. He takes care of himself and his players.”

And it not only creates a void in the defense, it creates a hole in the leadership group of the team.

“Somebody will have to step up. I feel like I take a leadership role for my room. I think [Julius Peppers] takes it for the D-line, and obviously Brian had it in his room and for the whole defense. So other guys will just have to step up and just take that leadership role.”

“The white knight is gone.”